X-ray/radiographic imaging units are well known for medical diagnosis. Various methods are known for obtaining a radiographic image on an image receiver. Three well known methods are described below.
A first method employs an image receiver of a conventional photosensitive sheet of film. The film is disposed within a light-tight cassette and imaged. Once imaged, the sheet of film is chemically processed to transform the latent image into an analog x-ray image.
A second method uses a stimulable storage phosphor sheet as the image receiver. This method is generally known as computed radiography (CR).
A third method, often referred to as direct radiography (DR), uses a radiation image detector as the image receiver. The detector is capable of detecting the radiation image on real-time basis and directly outputting a digital signal. More particularly, an x-ray source projects an x-ray beam through an object (such as a body part of an individual) to produce an x-ray image captured by a detecting member. The detector can rely on direct conversion of x-rays to charge carriers or alternatively indirect conversion in which x-rays are converted to light which is then converted to charge carriers and charge readout. The detector is typically formed as a flat panel.
A bucky is a well known structure/member which can be employed to support/house the image receiver during the imaging process. For example, in the third method (i.e., DR), the detector is typically mounted in a bucky. The bucky can also house other elements, for example, an anti-scatter grid which is commonly used to prevent scattered radiation from affecting the final x-ray image. Such anti-scatter grids are typically employed when the object to be imaged is relatively thick (for example, a human chest).
The bucky can be mounted in various configurations, for example, on an x-ray table or on a radiographic stand. FIG. 1 shows a bucky 10 mounted on a radiographic stand.
In the medical practice, it is often desirable to obtain a radiographic image of the subject from various directions or in a plurality of ways, for example, horizontal and vertical. Accordingly, there is a need to rotate the bucky between various directions/orientations/ways. For example, when the bucky is used on a radiographic stand, it is desirable to rotate/pivot/move the bucky to various directions/orientations/ways to obtain the desired radiographic images. As shown in FIG. 1, bucky 10 can rotate about an axis substantially perpendicular to a radiographic stand 12. If the bucky is of varying dimension in its width and length, then it may be desirable to rotate the bucky between a plurality of positions, for example, a “portrait” orientation and a “landscape” orientation. Bucky 10 is shown in a portrait orientation in FIG. 2A wherein the height dimension (the dimension directed along the stand) is greater than the width dimension (the dimension perpendicular to the vertical stand). Bucky 10 is shown in a landscape orientation in FIG. 2B wherein the width dimension is greater than the height dimension.
Apparatus are known for rotating x-ray imaging units, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,472 (Takagi), US RE 37,614 (Ohlson), U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,265 (Babler), U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,048 (Ohlson), and U.S. Pat. Application Publication No. 2001/0040939 (Kobayashi).
While such apparatus may have achieved certain degrees of success in their particular applications, there exists a need for an apparatus/assembly for rotating a bucky wherein the apparatus is durable, readily manufacturable, allows rotation of a bucky without undue effort/force by a health professional, and secures the bucky in each rotated position.